From reading The Network Society by Jan van Dijk and responding to a discussion board question, I had to ask the question "Has the purpose of the media really changed?" Of course we know that the media is used to inform and enlightne us on new things, but according to van Dijk, " the combination of social and media networks causes the media to become social environments themselves." I agree with this statement as I watch television everyday and realize the things media does every day inorder to get their viewers attention and most importantly to keep it.
The news itself has transformed from what it used to be. News reporters sat in front of a screen and told the news for an hour, and now news have surveys and questionnaires t
hat allow viewers to respond to while the program is still being shown. News reporters have begum to ask the opinion of the "outside world" more and more and have become more personable.
I think the radio is definitely a huge social environment. I never used to listen to the radio often until I got my car. Now, I tune into the radio every morning and love to listen to the topic of conversation, and laugh at all the funny statements. The radio allows the listeners to have a "face" even though no one can see us just because we are able to add our input and have a voice. From talking about the dumbest things to discussing politics, what happened in the news, and things we should change, it has turned into a social environment. From conversing with older folks who remember the radio and the television being an important aspect of their daily lives for only one hour a day, to us watching television 24/7 is tremendous! My aunt remembers when her sisters and her would sit around and listen to the radio for story time, or have dinner in the living room and watch the news with the family. With it becoming more sociable
, it is also causing distraught in some families because everyone has different taste and it is sometimes difficult to get a family together to watch one thing just because of the variety media has created for us.
Very True ray of sunshine !! Especially what you said about the news. I don't watch it often because I remember it being boring and even too frightening as a kid. The other day I took a moment to watch the new and it was as if I was watching a late night talk show!! The comedic jokes... the interactions with the public via twitter, Facebook and various apps the news was actually entertaining... but I thought to myself how ...odd.
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